Insomniac's Lullaby
by CrazyRach
Summary: The best things happen in the rain. She met Piper in the rain. They fucked in the rain. They loved in the rain. And she learnt to sleep in the rain. But she forgot, bad things happen too when it rains. Pre-prison story sticking to the show flashbacks a little with some twists. Lots of Vauseman.
1. Chapter 1

**_Hey guys! Well, lookie, it's a new vauseman story! Inspired by my own fucked up relationship with sleep..and maybe an Ed Sheeran song :) The story will contain pre chapter lyrics but they all belong to the awesome ginger blur that is Ed Sheeran. (If you're interested the song is called Insomniacs Lullaby - aren't I original with my story titles!) Enjoy! :)_**

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 _I'm getting very edgy 'cos you're trying to take this from me and it's something that I wanted so bad_

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 **5:18am**.

 **5-fucking-18am.**

It would be easy to say her alarm clock was lying but no matter how many times she closed her eyes and then stared at the numbers they refused to say anything earlier. Alex hated that about time. It never went the way she wanted it to. It was always too slow or too quick. She never got the stay around part in between.

She kicked her duvet off herself and just for added drama for the queen she slammed her heel hard into the mattress.

There, she thought once her anger subsided a fraction, better.

Her eyes stared upwards at the dark ceiling of her room. Soon it would be lit up in daylight and she'd be reminded she hadn't slept again. She hated that about the morning. Maybe if she ever caught sleep she'd realise why people were so happy about it. Maybe she'd understand the smiles that came when people said good morning. To her nothing about it was good. It was just the rerun of the shitty day before, made shittier by the fact that she was doubly tired, and doubly pissed with the world.

Alex lay there silent and still for ages brooding, trying to trick her mind into getting bored enough with staring into the dark to actually sleep. But it didn't happen. It never happens. Instead she was left there night after night just waiting for nothing. It made her think about other people and how fucking great their lives must be being normal. She wish she didn't care. Her life would run a whole lot smoother if she just accepted it. It was what it was.

She tilted her head back to the side after what felt like hours and her eyes latched onto the clock again. She felt angry all over again.

 **5:19.**

"Just fuck it!" she growled pushing herself off her bed and out into her kitchen. She headed straight for some well deserved loser coffee. Anything to make her feel something close to alive today.

Her fingers tapped the countertop impatiently while the coffee got going and she glared angrily at it. It was going slow on purpose. She was half tempted to ditch it and walk across the street to her favourite coffee shop for some of the real stuff. But it was raining out and though she knew the shop would be open right now she felt too lazy to get dressed and go. Instead she continued to wait for her cup of homemade crap, insistent it was going slow just to piss her off.

Her eyes roamed the expanse of her apartment while she waited. At all the luxurious space she had. She hated it. Why did she need so much space when it was just her? She barely had enough stuff to fill it. She'd been showing off when she bought it. She wanted the world to see she could buy big. She wasn't the poor kid from the broke family anymore. She was much bigger than that now. But the apartment was so far her only testament to that. She didn't have a girlfriend. She barely had friends. All she had were acquaintances and hook ups and this grand apartment. Alex sighed to herself and pushed down her misery. Maybe she was lonely. Or maybe she just needed something stiffer than fucking coffee this morning.

Alex ignored the bleeping that announced her coffee was done and walked back to her room. She looked around on the floor for a second for the jeans she wore yesterday in hopes of finding her cell. She cursed her luck when the pockets turned up empty. The world just hated her today.

She threw them down again and began hunting for her phone, swearing loudly when she took a step forward and stubbed her toe on the bed.

"Fucking Christ!" She yelped hopping on the spot clutching her foot. A muffled shout from the floor below hers told her to shut up. She scowled down at them and forgetting the pain in her foot slammed it as hard as she could into the floor. Her neighbour yelled again but she smiled happy with her revenge.

Her ringtone brought her out of her thoughts and she quickly whipped her head around searching for it. It was her work ringtone. She couldn't miss those calls. Her life pretty much depended on them.

"Shit!" She growled stressed as she pulled her duvet out of her way and searched the bed. The call was nearing her voicemail when she found the cell under her pillow.

"Yeah?" She answered trying to sound somewhere nearer to awake than before. A humoured chuckle answered her.

 _"Alex, you seem flustered. Not disturbing any sweet dreams am I?"_

Alex rolled her eyes at Fahri's teasing,

"Was there a particular reason you rang so early?" She breezed back. He merely chuckled again

" _And here I was thinking vampires like you couldn't sleep"_ She couldn't help but smile but she didn't let on.

"Maybe I wasn't sleeping" she said coyly so he'd think maybe she wasn't alone. Anything to stop him laughing. And it worked. Fahri let out that sound of intrigue that told Alex he'd be begging details later. And she smiled about that. She loved to tease him.

" _M_ y _apologies then. But it was urgent"_

"It always is" she sighed and walked over to her window.

She sat down on the ledge and watched the rain while he went into detail about tomorrow's shipment deal. She was bored two seconds in. He stressed way too much. He knew she'd have everything covered by noon today. And if she didn't who cares, it's not like she slept at night. She had plenty of time fix it.

Her eyes followed the empty street outside while he carried on stressing out in her ear. She watched the tiny puddles grow into bigger ones as the rain lashed the pavement. She'd heard there was a storm coming but she wasn't all that bothered. Alex worked inside. Why should something as harmless as the weather worry her? But a storm in New York usually meant half an hour of rain and then rainbows. This looked a little worse. She worried for a second about tomorrow's shipment.

Her eyes drifted again to the shop across the street. The door was open despite the weather. She liked that about that place. No matter what it always welcomed you in. To her it was like going home. More than her apartment was anyhow.

She was thinking about bailing Fahri's call and maybe skipping over to grab herself a coffee when somebody outside caught her attention. There was a group of them. All girls from the looks of things, running into the coffee shop screaming under the rain and covering their heads with their jackets. Alex hated those types of girls. All prissy and obsessed with their hair. It annoyed her how their voices were ruining the quiet morning.

" _Alex, there was another thing.."_ Alex's attention came spinning back to the conversation and she waited for him to speak. He took a deep breath. Whatever it was it wasn't good. Her insides squirmed nervous.

"Well?" She said after a second of silence, "Spit it out already"

" _Kubra wants to meet you"_

Alex blinked back her shock. Meet her? She'd been working for him for nearly four years, why meet now?

"Uh.." She didn't know how to respond right, "Sure. I mean.. Yeah.." And then she couldn't help herself, "Why the sudden interest?"

Fahri laughed, " _You're our top girl, Alex. Kubra just wants to meet you in person and say hello to his top importer. That's all"_

Alex didn't trust that innocent ring to his voice though. Something about it told her it was much worse than he was letting on. She rubbed her eyes tiredly and nodded to herself. She couldn't exactly refuse.

"Tell him-"

A shout from outside stole her attention away and she looked down at the street again. A girl was stood in the doorway of the coffee shop waving her hand and calling somebody inside. Alex watched the rain beat down on her as she continued to shout out. Secretly she was thanking the person making the girl wait. She didn't know why but she decided the girl looked like she deserved to get soaked.

"Hurry up, c'mon!" The girl all but screamed. Alex watched her take a full step outside to holler again before she gave up and walked back inside. Thank god.

Alex sighed and leant back against the window. She closed her eyes with the renewed quiet. Now she could relax.

" _Tell him..?"_ She jumped with Fahri's voice in her ear. She'd almost forgotten she was in the middle of a call.

He seemed amused again. Like he suspected she just been in the cusps of drifting off. Alex wanted to tear his head off. She'd been so close to sleep just then. Instead she yawned and stretched herself out

"Tell him I'd be glad to meet the enigmatic boss I've heard so much about"

Fahri laughed, _"I'm sure he'll be thrilled"_ Alex simply yawned and he laughed again, _"Tired, Vause?"_

"You're keeping me awake" she grumbled annoyed. He chuckled back

 _"Somebody has to"_

That was low. Even for him. She swallowed her asshole line back and told him to arrange everything with Kubra. It was the least he could do.

 _"Just don't forget, she's gonna be at the airport at-"_

"I know, I know!" she snapped irritable. She wished he'd quit stressing already.

" _You know I'm in just as much shit if she gets caugh_ t" he said in the way of defending himself. Alex laughed hollowly

"Yeah, and when that day comes I'm just sure we'll be sharing a prison cell together"

He ignored her sarcasm and turned serious, " _Alex, listen_ -" except she wasn't listening.

Alex was staring outside. At a girl stood out in the rain, arms spread out and laughing as span in circles. That itself would enter in as mad in Alex's book any day. She watched the girl spin, entranced by her graceful turns. She moved like a ballerina. Except ballerinas she knew didn't wear those clothes in a rain storm. Alex's eyes ran all over the spinning girl. She was dressed in shorts and a thin drenched shirt that stuck and clung to her in all the right places. Her hair was dark from the wet but Alex could see that in a dry situation it'd be blonde, and at present it was plastered shaggily across her forehead, tangling into a forest of knots down her back. But it wasn't the clothes or the hair that kept Alex staring. It was that smile. It was big and happy. Like being in the rain was the happiest moment of the girl's life. It was infectious too. Alex found herself grinning out at the girl.

 _"Alex, are you listening to me?_ " Fahri asked annoyed. He was growing frustrated with her ignoring him all the time.

"Yeah.." She mumbled moving closer to the window as if to somehow get closer to the girl. She couldn't help it. Her curiosity was lit. She wanted to know what made the girl smile in the rain. What made her choose crazy today. You had to be downright insane to go out in a storm dressed like that.

Worse, she wanted to know if she could get a ticket into that crazy.

"I gotta go" she mumbled hanging up and putting the phone down to quickly throw some clothes on.

She hopped into some jeans and yanked a t shirt roughly over herself. Then she checked her hair and tucked her cell into her back pocket and all but ran out of the apartment. She caught her breath in the reception area and she smiled at the security guard as she offered her an umbrella. She shook her head.

"Going for coffee?" Jess asked tucking the umbrella back behind her counter.

Alex smirked at the knowing glint her eyes and nodded,

"Something like that"

"Mines a Vanilla latte" Jess winked sitting down and picking her cell up, dropping all charades of professionalism with a text. Alex chuckled at her. She loved Jess. The laid back guard was definitely one of her favourite people in the world.

"And a bagel?" She teased walking over to the door. Jess grinned down at her phone

"Oh! Somebody thinks they're getting laid today. You better go before she disappears"

Alex shook her head when she got waved out. No girl ever got away from her that easy.

Jess pressed the button to unlock the door and Alex stepped out into the rain. She swore under her breath the second it hit her. Shit that was cold! She was suddenly wishing she'd taken Jess' umbrella. Or at least a jacket. Instead she'd run out in only a t-shirt. Inside she caught Jess laugh at her.

"Fuck it" she grumbled and walked briskly round the corner to where she'd seen the girl earlier, hissing to herself when the wind blew more rain across her face and down her back.

She didn't know what the fuck she was thinking. Who walked out into a storm to pick up girls? It was madness. And it was getting her soaked. She paused a moment and hesitated going through with it. But then if she turned back now she'd never hear the end of it with Jess. So she pulled her shirt straight, flicked her hair back and walked.

To her glee the girl was still there when she rounded the corner to the coffee shop. She was stood still now, head tipped back and staring at the sky. Still smiling. Alex gave it a moment to take her in before she strode forward.

"You look wet" she said with a low smile when the girl jumped and looked back at her. Her eyes ran all over Alex a moment before she shrugged and gave her a smile back

"So do you"

Alex glanced down at herself and noticed her shirt clinging to her. Much like the girl's was her. She forced her eyes upwards and smiled.

Alex nodded at her, "I forgot my jacket. What's your excuse?"

The girls smile widened, "I forgot my sanity"

They both laughed. Alex took a step closer to the girl and looked up at the sky too.

"What're you looking at?" She asked curious.

The girl peered back at her, eyes trapping Alex's. Alex couldn't help but smile some more. The girl had the most gorgeous blue eyes she'd ever seen.

"Just the sky. Nothing great" She turned as if she were leaving and Alex felt a little panic hit her. She didn't want to stop talking to the girl yet.

"I disagree" she said catching the girl's attention, "I'd say it was a pretty great thing. What with all the crap it puts up with. You know, humankind.. and everything"

She wanted to smack herself. She sounded like such a dork!

The girl frowned a second as if confused before she smiled and turned back to face Alex, "Yeah, I suppose you're right. I never thought of it that way"

Even though she was positive the girl was trying to save her from embarrasment Alex couldn't stop herself from smiling too. She held a wet hand out.

"I'm Alex"

The girl took her hand, soft warm fingers closing around Alex's. Alex's breath caught a little and she saw the skin on her arm tremble. She swallowed nervous and looked up to find those blue eyes watching her again. The girl opened her mouth to return the greeting but a scream cut over her

"Piper Chapman, I swear if you don't get that skinny ass in here this second I'm gonna save the rain the bother and kill you myself!"

Alex looked back at the girl in the shop doorway and gave her a solid glare for the interruption. Her friend coughed and moved away embarrassed.

"And," Alex looked back at the girl, "As my wonderfully impatient best friend just announced, I'm Piper"

Piper. The name sounded beautiful in Alex's head. Her anger at Piper's friend vanished and she smiled down at the blonde.

"Hello Piper" she said huskily, loving the way it rolled off her tongue. Piper smiled some more.

Her friend yelled from the door again and Piper stuttered an apology about having to go.

"Sorry" she mumbled, "Duty calls"

Alex nodded and the girl turned to go but immediately turned around again,

"I don't suppose you're busy right now?" Alex blinked at her and Piper blushed a little, "I mean.. You wanna.. Um..." She grew a little flustered and Alex had to bite her lip to stop from laughing at her, "What I meant to say was.. Shit. I don't know what I meant to say"

She stared down at the floor and pouted a little. Alex's breath caught again. Piper was being adorably hot right now. And she'd just been about to ask Alex out for coffee. Alex was certain of it. Her confidence returned to her and she quickly took a step forward.

Alex chuckled, "Are you usually this smooth asking a girl out?" She asked brazenly. Piper blinked back at her.

"I-I wasn't.. I mean, I wouldn't.."

"No?" Alex grinned waiting.

Piper searched her face a moment and her friend yelled for her again. Alex was getting close to marching over and telling the girl where to put that loud mouth of hers. Piper saw Alex's irritation and took a couple more steps back. Alex felt her heart drop.

"I should probably go. It was nice meeting you, Alex"

"Pleasure was all yours" Alex winked watching Piper blush some more.

The blonde turned and retreated a few more steps, stopping at the door by her friend to look back and find Alex still stood there in the rain. Alex realised then she looked pretty stupid and started to head home.

"Hey!" Piper called causing Alex's head to whip around. She smiled when Alex's eyes fixed on hers again.

"Maybe we'll meet in another rain storm" Piper called over the wind with a gentle laugh, "Bye, Alex!"

Alex grinned and called back, "Bye, Piper Chapman"

Piper flashed her one last smile and waved before she disappeared inside. Her friend gave Alex a scrutinising look before she pulled the door shut behind them, obviously to let Alex know she was not welcome inside. Alex scoffed. Piper was nice but her friend was a total grade A bitch.

She turned and made her way back to the apartment block, hands in her pockets and walking through every puddle along the way. She reran through her short conversation with Piper and she grinned happy to herself. She liked the girl. A lot. She had to see her again.

"Hey! Where's the latte and bagel?"

Alex shook her head at Jess and walked up the stairs to her apartment. Jess simply laughed after her. Maybe she was smiling too much. She couldn't help it. Meeting Piper had put her in a brilliant mood. Nothing could ruin it.

Her cell rang as she walked into her apartment and she sighed. Work. Of course. She'd forgot and let herself get a little optimistic. There was always something that could ruin her mood.

She answered the call and set it on speaker as she made herself some coffee and fired up her Mac. She took gentle sips of it as Fahri rambled on but she was barely listening to him.

She was thinking about Piper Chapman.


	2. Chapter 2

**_Hey guys! Thanks for the favs/follows, and the review! I love those little things, gives me something to smile about :) Can I just say right now that Im not usually a 3rd person writer. So im not sure how this will read. If it sucks too bad lemme know and i'll skip back to my 1st person stuffs :) The updates'll be slow cos i got a loada stories to fix. Sorry about that. But enjoy! :)_**

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 _Cos you're the definition of someone who has to ruin the best thing that I ever had_

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 _(Three years later)_

Alex was sat in her usual bar picking at the label on her beer bottle while her friends all laughed around her. They were supposed to be having a meeting about next months work but none of them were all too bothered about it. Not even Alex. She just sat there while they chatted, silently regretting she'd ever come out. Sylvie was working late so there had been no need to pretend to be the happy girlfriend tonight. She could have easily spent the night figuring out the last drop details of tomorrow's shipment and then watch some lame ass film alone on her couch. So why had she come? She didn't even know.

She thought about about her girlfriend while the others got another round in. About how she was getting so fucking sick of the woman. Sylvie was nice and sweet and all, but God she was a commitment freak if there ever was one. And Alex wasn't all that sure she wanted to handle that. She could deal with the fucking and the odd night staying over. That was fine. In fact that was perfect. It was when the odd night over turned into lunch dates and coffee and practically moving in together. She was fairly sure most of the stuff in her apartment now was Sylvie's. And it was pissing her off. She liked and valued her own space. But recently her space had been invaded and now all she saw were Sylvies belongings. She didn't like it one bit. There was only one thing for it. Sylvie had to go.

"Hey" alex looked up when her elbow got bumped. Christie nodded at the bottle in her hand, "Don't you know what playing with the label means?"

Alex looked down at it. The label was all but shredded on the table beside her hand. She put the bottle down and shrugged back at her friend, "Means I don't like labels"

"Oh boy, I know that look" Christie laughed and took a sip of her beer.

Alex frowned at her, "What look?"

"That bored look. You're thinking of dumping Sylvie again"

Alex stared at her. How could she get all that from a look? Christie smiled back at her all knowingly. Alex shook her head at her

"You don't know what you're talking about" she mumbled looking out the window for distraction.

Outside the street was slowing down as people headed home. Alex looked around at them and then back at her laughing friends. She suddenly wished she'd taken Fahri up on his offer to go to networking in Dubai for a couple days. It seemed much more appealing than sitting in a shitty bar talking about Sylvie. She'd take Fahri's high shenanigans over that any day.

"It's okay to get bored, Alex" Christie was saying all sympathetically, "God knows I get sick of them"

Alex laughed and looked back at her friend. Christie's definition of getting bored was limited to two nights in a row fucking the same person. She called anything past that marriage.

"I'm not bored" alex said smiling when Christie gave her a doubtful look, "I'm not! I'm just..."

She struggled to find the right way to put it. She wasn't bored with Sylvie. She just wanted to not be with her. That wasn't the same thing.

"Freaking out?" Nina suggested leaning in on their conversation.

"I would be" Rachel added beside Nina, "I mean, you two have moved pretty fast"

"You U-hauling lesbos" Christie joked chuckling cheekily when Alex bumped her arm and made her beer spill. She cussed under her breath and set about mopping the alcohol off her jeans while Alex addressed the other two.

"Guys it's not like that" she said defensively in hopes they'd drop it. But of course they didn't.

"Then what is it?"

Alex looked around at them. They all looked sympathetic with her. Like they knew what was going on. She sighed and shrugged at them. She didn't know.

"See, freaking out. I rest my case" Nina grinned and raised her glass to her lips. Alex and Christie both scoffed at her.

"I don't freak out" Alex said cutting the conversation dead right there.

The others simply smiled and started talking about their different trips abroad doing drops. Alex rolled her eyes at them. How many more times would she have to tell them to talk mule shit in private? Still, she was grateful the conversation had turned off her. She phased out while she thought about it. She hated to admit it but they were right. She was bored. And she was freaking out. And she hated Sylvie for that. She had to break up with her.

"Alex got stopped the other day, right Al?"

She looked up and found them looking at her. What were they talking about?

"What?"

"Its all these new bullshit security laws" Rachel said playing with the ice in her glass with her straw, "If there werent so many god damn rules our jobs would be easier"

"You mean you'd be able to actually pass through customs without getting felt up on purpose?" Christie replied. Rachel scowled at her and told her to shut up

"What happened with you, Alex?" Nina asked nudging her to get her attention.

Alex wasn't listening. She was watching the bar door open for a new customer. A girl was sidestepping her way around a couple boys stood at the door. She had her back to Alex but she looked familiar somehow. Alex frowned to herself trying to think why.

"Earth to the drug dealer?"

Christie waved her hand in front of alex's eyes and laughed when alex's fingers closed tight around her wrist. Alex gave the grinning girl a warning look before asking what the hell they were all discussing.

"You getting spot checked on the way back from Amsterdam..?" Christie prompted trying to reel her back into the conversation.

"Seriously?!" Nina gasped. Alex nodded, sharing in their disgust

"Yeah, I had to walk all the way through customs, guys. Barefoot. I mean if Bush fucking wins again, we're all moving to Berlin"

"Here here!" Christie grinned raising her beer. Everybody else copied her. Alex smiled and clicked bottles with them.

Her eyes moved away from their smiling faces to the bar. And she found herself tilting her head slightly at the blonde stood waiting for the barman. She could swear she recognised her from somewhere.

"Whoa! Check out hot barbie by the bar!" Christie whispered dramatically.

All their heads snapped around at the same time and Alex rolled her eyes at their lack of subtly.

 _Mules,_ she sighed to herself.

Christie's eyes ran over the girl and she started to rise out of her seat to go speak to her. With that predatory look in her eye it was clear christie had one thing only in mind for the blonde. Alex beat her to it though.

"Hey you" she called with no result, beside her Christie started to laugh. Alex ignored her, "Hey, Lauren Ingalls Wilder"

The blonde turned around surprised. Alex was just as surprised. Somebody else knew who that was? Her heart shuddered in her chest when the blondes eyes found her sitting with her friends. It was the girl from the rainstorm. She was sure it was the same girl. It had to be. Alex could recognise those eyes anywhere. It was piper. But the blonde didn't look like she recognised Alex. Maybe she'd forgotten their meeting in the rain. Alex's heart dropped a little.

"We're escaping America before the apocalypse" she told her hoping to get her to talk. If she heard her voice she'd know for sure, "Wanna come?"

"Sorry?" Her reply jarred all alex's thoughts. That was definitely piper. Alex had replayed her voice nearly a thousand times in her mind after they first met. There was no mistaking it. Somehow, after all this time, she'd found Piper again.

Alex couldn't speak. She could only smile at the innocent expression Piper was giving her. Her friends all laughed when she failed to say anything back.

The blonde looked around at them all, confused by their joke. She turned when the barman moved down to serve her.

"Hey al, ten bucks says you can't get her number" Alex nudged Christie back and half heartedly mumbled something about Sylvie. Christie snorted

"You're bored, remember? Besides, I'm not gonna tell her" Christie give Alex that daring smile again. Alex still didn't respond. She was staring at piper, "Or I could go talk to her.. Maybe she'll give me her-" Alex suddenly caved with a nod.

"Fine. I'll get her number. But you shut up with the Sylvie shit. Right?"

"Cross my heart" Christie promised drawing an x under her right collarbone. Alex rolled her eyes

"I forgot, you don't have a heart" she muttered cynically

"I think you're stalling" Christie sang.

Alex poked her and took another sip of her beer. Her eyes moved over the blonde at the bar. She tried to match her with the girl she'd met in the rain years ago. Nothing about her looked like it'd changed. She still looked like the crazy girl who loved getting wet and asking strangers for coffee. Alex hoped she still liked doing that.

Especially the first part.

Alex stood up and collected her beer bottle. Christie was smirking again

"Shut up and watch" Alex told her.

She edged around the table and walked up to the bar, ignoring their little remarks as she went.

Piper was looking disappointed as she sat down on a bar stool, a sheet of paper sat on the bar in front of her. Alex guessed she'd been looking for a job. She couldn't picture the blonde serving beers to drunks all night. Somehow that looked way too downtown for blondie. She stopped beside the girl after she ordered herself a cocktail

"It's a little cold out for margaritas, wouldn't you say?" Alex asked setting her bottle down and looking down at her. Piper looked back and timidly smiled. Maybe she did recognise Alex.

"Let's see this" Alex picked up the sheet of paper and held it up to read. It looked like a resume. A shit resume. A completely made up shit resume. Alex smiled down at it. This girl was too cute.

"Steve's Greek Cuisine? Le Grand Fromage?" She laughed to herself with the ridiculous made up restaurants. Beside her piper was shifting about on the stool embarrased, "You need a lesson in fudging a resume" she told her

"Do you work here?" piper asked hopeful. Alex looked back at her insulted

"Are you fucking kidding me?"

Piper stayed quiet and let alex read on.

"Manager, Polly Harper.. No one named Polly Harper gets put in charge. Who is that really?"

"Its my friend" Piper admitted grinning along with the older woman. Her eyes kept cutting over Alex's body, taking her in appreciatively while she smiled. It made Alex tingle a little.

Alex softly laughed at the blonde, "You've never waited a fucking table in your life, have you?"

Piper looked away and shook her head "No.." she said softly.

"So, Piper Chapman…" her voice automatically husked over the name, "A Smith grad with excellent listening skills, passionate about making diners feel good.. Mmm. That sounds kind of dirty"

The bartender came back with Piper's drink and he set it down in front of her. Alex nodded at him for another round for her table and pointed at Piper's margarita to add to her tab. She distracted herself again with reading piper's resume. She wanted to outright laugh about it. The entire thing was fucking lame. How could piper believe she was ever going to get a job with it?

Alex read another embarrassing line out and piper cringed and ripped the resume out of alex's hand so she couldnt tease her further.

Alex chuckled and looked her over,

"What else do I need to know about you?" She asked staring down at the blonde. She wanted to know every last thing about her. Firstly why she danced in the rain and then everything else. She'd been waiting long enough for an answer.

Piper looked up at her, eyes staring into Alex's with a vague flicker of recognition. Alex hoped she remembered her.

"Who are you?" Piper asked in a curious little voice.

"My name is Alex" Alex saw a flash of something run through the blue in pipers eyes. Her smile widened a fraction as she leant a little closer.

"And what do you do Alex? Besides insult strangers"

Alex looked down at her. She could lie. She could tell piper some impressive thing that made her like her. But something made her want to be honest with the blonde. She didn't want to lie to those eyes.

So she locked them with her own and with a slight smile she said seriously, "I work in an international drug cartel"

Piper blinked at her, her face frozen in shock. Alex immediately regretting telling her. Would she take her seriously? Would she believe her and decide Alex was too much trouble? Alex didn't want piper to go. So she laughed, and piper started smiling too, like she thought it was a joke. Alex wanted to roll her eyes. Of course that was always the reaction.

"Hey alex," she glanced back at her friends. They were standing up to go. Christie gave her a smile and squeezed her shoulder as she stopped in front of her, "We'll see you later" Alex nodded. Christie glanced back at Piper, "Watch this one. She likes to break things"

Christie turned back to alex and made an x over her heart with a cheeky smile as she backed away.

"Bye guys" alex mumbled waving them off.

"I should probably go too" Piper mumbled hopping off the bar stool. Alex felt her heart sink. They'd barely spoken.

"Oh.. Somewhere to be?"

Piper nodded, "I'm kind of really late to a house warming party.."

Alex chuckled. Typical ditzy blonde, "Whose house?" she asked watching piper pull her coat on. Piper pulled her hair over her collar and gave alex a wide grin

"Mine. I'll see you around alex"

She started to leave and alex watched her go miserably. She never got a chance to bring up the whole rainstorm. Or ask whether piper wanted to hang out some time. She didnt even get her-

"Hey wait a second!" she called rushing out the bar after the blonde.

She stepped out onto the street and looked around, breathing out relieved when she spotted the blonde across the road. Piper stopped when she heard alex call her name and she turned around with a gentle smile as alex approached.

"You got a pen, college girl?"

"uh.. yeah, sure" Piper rooted in her purse a moment and extracted a sleek looking fountain pen. Alex raised an eyebrow at her as she took it off her. Piper blushed again.

"Hand please" alex said holding her hand out.

Piper looked confused but she put her hand into alexs willingly. Alex gave her a hitched smile and looked down to draw the numbers on the back of pipers hand. She handed the pen back when she was done

"If you ever want to brush up that resume, call me"

Piper smiled at her and gave her a nod, "dont worry. I will"

She walked off and left alex to stand there in the street watching her. She couldnt help but grin as she watched piper walk away. She'd call her, she knew she would. Why wouldnt she?

There was a pitter pattering of rain hitting her shoulder as she turned to walk home, and alex just knew it was a good sign.

* * *

Piper chapman had all but consumed Alex's mind in the next couple days. She'd been too swamped in work to go out and look for the curious blonde. She'd wanted to, god knows she wanted to. She found herself thinking non stop about the blonde. About her smile. Her eyes. That cute little way she avoided alex's eyes when she felt overwhelmed with the way alex was staring at her. Especially she thought about pipers skin and how soft and warm she'd felt under alex's touch. She wished she'd gotten Piper's number. She wanted nothing more than to see the blonde. To call her up and hear her voice, if only for a few seconds. But she hadnt. And now she couldn't even go out in hopes of bumping into piper again. Work was stopping her.

Kubra had been more than impressed with Alex and her handling his newest customers. He'd decided he to give her more areas now she'd proven herself to him. Something Fahri constantly reassured her was meant as a reward. Alex never saw it that way herself. She always saw it as more work and more stress. She could barely keep up anymore. But she could hardly refuse the drug lord. From her first ever meeting with him she got the impression that he always got his own way. You didn't become a powerful drug lord without that.

She was tapping away on her laptop in the kitchen. It was well past midnight and she was still working. Just like every other night this week. This last customer was being picky about the pick up location and it was pushing her patience. She'd already had to change the flights twice and then she had to spend more money persuading the new girl to go through with it. If the client decided to change their mind again she would personally deliver the drugs herself. And maybe kill them herself while she was at it. There was nothing like customer service after all.

"Babe, are you coming to bed?"

Alex didn't answer. Just kept working like she'd never heard her. And Sylvie didn't like that. In the few hours she'd been home Alex had barely spoken or looked at her. Maybe she'd pissed her off somehow. Sylvie didn't get it. Alex was always hot and cold but in the last few days she'd been arctic ice with her. If she wasnt snapping at her she was outright avoiding her. All Sylvie could say was it was a good thing Alex was hot, otherwise she wouldn't have put up with it.

She let out a long loud sigh that said she wanted Alex to acknowledge her existence and it had alex staring at her laptop screen wondering what the fuck it was she saw in the girl. It wasn't like she didn't like Sylvie. She did. She was cute and a good fuck but she was also selfish and jealous. And committed to the point of controlling. And Alex didn't want that right now. She wasn't interested in it at all. She just wanted to work, fuck, and then work some more. She didn't have time for all the fake yuppie love shit in between. And Sylvie knew that. Alex had told her straight from the start. But still she continued to label them as girlfriends and move herself in like she thought she was wanted in Alex's life.

Sylvie was still waiting for an answer. She watched Alex type away, eyes following Alex fingers on the keyboard jealously. She wanted them both to sleep for once. Both of them. She grew tired of going to bed at night without alex and then waking up to find her already gone. Most nights she was sure Alex never even went to bed. And it made her miserable. She wanted something normal with Alex but the brunette always came up with an excuse.

She gave it another minute before she sighed loudly again and walked back to Alex's bedroom alone. Alex heard the door shut and let out a breath of relief. She wasn't looking for an argument tonight. They always fought and she always got close to telling Sylvie to go. But then she'd be looking at her. She'd be all angry and shouting and threatening to leave and Alex would think about it and know she'd be alone and missing Sylvie despite herself if she left. So she never said go. She always pussied out. Instead she would grab the other woman and she'd kiss her. She'd pin her against the wall or counter and fuck her right there until neither of them were angry anymore. It was always the same.

But Alex was tired of arguments. And she was tired of Sylvie. She was even tired of fucking her. The shine had worn off and she was more than ready to drop Sylvie like an unwanted toy. She had to tell her. She knew it wasn't fair stringing her along just so she wasn't lonely. She knew that. And maybe if she broke up with Sylvie she could find somebody else. A little less controlling and more fun. That's all Alex wanted.

Alex finished her work for the night and checked the time. 3:45. Another night with no sleep. She sighed to herself and shut her Mac. Her fingers drummed along it whilst she thought through what to tell Sylvie. How would she even start? Hey Sylvie, get out of my bed, we're done. No. Too cruel. She didn't want to look cruel or unfair. She just wanted to let Sylvie go so she could be happy.

She sighed again and rolled her head back. She stared up at the ceiling and thought about that day in the rain again. When she'd walked out and got wet just to talk to a strange girl. It was fast becoming her go to memory when she was depressed. She found herself smiling. Piper chapman. She still remembered her eyes and the warm way they sparkled with her smile when Alex teased her about her resume. She wished she'd gotten pipers number. She'd give anything to see that girl again. Anything.

"What're you thinking about?"

Alex let out a slow breath. She hadn't heard the bedroom door open or sylvie's slow steps back into the kitchen. Already she was angry. She readied herself to face sylvie and finally tell her the the truth. Her words died out the second she tipped her head straight and looked over at the other woman. Her jaw dropped slightly. Slyvie stood leaning against the door to her room wearing nothing but a hitched smirk. She crossed her arms and flicked her eyebrow up, challenging alex to do something about it. Alex licked her lips and stood up. She wanted to tell sylvie but at the same time…

She slowly approached her, eyes running all over her. She grinned down at the other woman and raised a hand to cup the back of sylvies neck. Sylvie was biting her lip when Alex pulled her into her and kissed her hard. She looked happy she was getting her own way.

Alex didnt care. She just wanted to fuck.


End file.
